Board Of Control For Cricket In India Wants Bigger Cut Of ICC Profits

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is "ready to open another front" against the Int'l Cricket Council and other member boards, according to Sanjjeev K. Samyal of the HINDUSTAN TIMES. The BCCI is "unhappy with the ICC’s system of distributing 75% of its net profit equally among full members." The BCCI feels it "deserves a bigger share and is now looking to extract its pound of flesh." The BCCI’s demand for a larger share of the pie "stems from India’s centrality to the sport and its global governing body." India generates more than "70% of the game’s revenue and is also the reason why the ICC attracts big broadcast and sponsorship deals for its events" such as the 50-over World Cups and World T20s. Banking "mainly on the Indian market," the ICC has projected $1.58B as the value of "its commercial rights for the period" '07-15. Moreover, "BCCI’s research says, without India, ICC’s bargaining power in broadcast deals straightaway falls by 40%." India wants an arrangement similar to the one in La Liga, where the "two biggest draws" -- Real Madrid and Barcelona -- receive a "much larger share of the TV rights deal." One "can expect a long-drawn fight and, going by the BCCI’s record, boycott threats are likely to fly unless its stand is okayed" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 9/15). The PTI reported "with a fortnight to go for the BCCI's Annual General Meeting" in Chennai on Sept. 29, "under pressure BCCI president-in-exile N. Srinivasan has already started working on his bid to retain the hot-seat for one more season." Srinivasan "had called all the BCCI affiliated units from southern parts to assemble in Chennai to pledge their support ahead of the AGM." The absence of the Goa Cricket Association and Andhra CA from the meeting, however, has led to "speculations about an election being on the cards" (PTI, 9/15).

BCCI TO PUSH FOR RULE CHANGES: In Mumbai, Dwaipayan Datta reported the BCCI is "set to push for some rule changes" in the forthcoming Chief Executives Committee meeting of the ICC next week. The sub-continental boards will ask to "abolish the two-new-balls rule for One-dayers." As per present playing conditions, "two new balls are used from two ends and that is creating major problems for the spinners" (TIMES OF INDIA, 9/15).

FORMER PCB CHAIR SPEAKS OUT: The PTI reported former Pakistan Cricket Board Chair Khalid Mehmood "has advised the present PCB set-up against accepting any BCCI invitation to play a proposed tri-series with Sri Lanka in India later this year." Mehmood said that the PCB "should not make compromises on its home series for the sake of accomodating the Indian board" (PTI, 9/15).